White Wine Scallop Pasta Recipe
Succulent bay scallops are pan-seared in browned butter and tossed with burst tomatoes and zucchini in a lemony white wine sauce in this scallop pasta recipe.
Scallops are a wonderful protein, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and healthy fats that can balance your cholesterol levels, reducing your heart disease risk. The high magnesium content in scallops can contribute to heart health as well.
What are Magdalena Bay Scallops?
Bay scallops are smaller than sea scallops but taste very much the same. Because of their size, they are perfect for making recipes such a ceviche, pan-searing, and serving over pasta or risotto, in tacos, and in scallop chowders.
The bay scallops are harvested by hand by divers in Magdalena Bay, which is a 31-mile-long bay off the Mexican coast of the Baja Peninsula.
Ingredients in White Wine Scallop Pasta
- olive oil - I prefer extra virgin olive oil for its rich flavor and texture in the sauce
- zucchini - adds nutrition to the dish as well as great texture and flavor
- butter - salted butter is browned and used for searing the scallops. The browned butter adds another dimension of richness and complexity to the pasta.
- Magdalena Bay Scallops - wild caught bay scallops are the perfect size for this pasta dish.
- cherry or grape tomatoes - the tomatoes will burst over medium-high heat becoming caramelized and juicy
- fresh thyme - adds herbal floral notes to the pasta
- garlic - a must in any Mediterranean pasta dish, we use three cloves of fresh garlic, minced or thinly sliced to flavor the sauce.
- white wine - use any good drinking white wine, not the "cooking wine" from the grocery store. I used a dry unoaked chardonnay. We use ½ cup to prepare the sauce for the scallop pasta.
- pasta cooking water - reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water to help enhance the sauce with starch and thicken it very slightly.
- lemon juice and lemon zest - add brightness to the dish to offset the heaviness of the browned butter.
- red pepper flakes - a little heat goes a long way in this pasta dish
- fresh basil - tie all the flavors together with its sweetness and herby flavor profile.
- spaghetti or linguini - I used thick-cut spaghetti, which is like bucatini, but angel hair can be used, or if you are following a strict Mediterranean diet, you can use whole-wheat pasta. Cook it al dente.
- parmesan cheese - the salty, tangy cheese is the perfect topping for the pasta to meld all the flavors together.
To make the pasta dish Mediterranean diet-friendly, you would use whole wheat spaghetti.
How to Make White Wine Scallop Pasta
Cook the pasta according to package directions and reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water.
Start by heating 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Cook the zucchini until golden brown. Do not salt the zucchini or it will get mushy. Once the zucchini is cooked, remove it from the skillet and reserve it to the side.
Prepare the scallops. Rinse the scallops in a colander under cold water, then dry the scallops. Place a double layer of paper towels over a large dish or bowl and place the scallops on the paper towel. Pat dry so that no moisture is lingering.
Brown the butter in the original large skillet by gently heating the butter over medium heat until the butter becomes golden and slightly browned. Add the scallops to the butter and turn up the heat slightly. Cook the scallops, stirring frequently until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove the scallops from the skillet and reserve.
Next, you'll add the tomatoes to the pan with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh thyme and cook over medium-high heat until the tomatoes begin to burst and are roasted. The minced garlic is added to the skillet and cooked for one minute until fragrant.
Add the scallops and zucchini back to the pan and add white wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and pasta water.
Reduce the sauce over medium heat slightly, then toss it with the cooked pasta. Garnish with fresh basil and shaved or grated parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
What to Serve with Scallop Pasta
I would recommend a simple side salad, toasted garlic bread, and a glass of white wine to be served with the white wine scallop pasta. It would be delicious with a Panzanella salad, or my asparagus feta salad.
Additional Seafood Recipes
Seafood is an integral part of the Mediterranean diet, so we offer many delicious seafood recipes on this blog.
Mediterranean Pasta With Shrimp
Shrimp Saganaki - Baked Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes
White Wine Scallop Pasta With Burst Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 zucchini sliced
- 4 tablespoons butter I used salted
- 16 oz Magdalena Bay Scallops
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup white wine
- ¼ - ½ cup pasta cooking water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and lemon zest
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
- 12 oz spaghetti or linguini
- parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions and reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water.
- Start by heating 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Cook the zucchini until golden brown. Do not salt the zucchini or it will get mushy. Once the zucchini is cooked, remove it from the skillet and reserve to the side.
- Prepare the scallops. Rinse the scallops in a colander under cold water, then dry the scallops. Place a double layer of paper towels over a large dish or bowl and place the scallops on the paper towel. Pat dry so that no moisture is lingering.
- Brown the butter in the original large skillet by gently heating the butter over medium heat until the butter becomes golden and slightly browned. Add the scallops to the butter and turn up the heat slightly. Cook the scallops, stirring frequently until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove the scallops from the skillet and reserve.
- Add the tomatoes to the pan with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh thyme and cook over medium-high heat until the tomatoes begin to burst and are roasted. Add the minced garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant.
- Add the scallops and zucchini back to the pan and add white wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and the pasta water. Reduce the sauce over medium heat slightly, then toss with the cooked pasta. Garnish with fresh basil and shaved or grated parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Susan says
Another fantastic recipe! The sauce was incredible for these scallops.
Super Safeway says
Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked it. The browned butter makes the sauce extra flavorful.